Dhoni and Pathan star in India’s warm up win

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Irfan Pathan and the Indian team celebrate a Lankan wicket - Pic by Amila Gamage

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Rohit Sharma starred in India’s 26 run win over Sri Lanka in their warm up match played at the P. Sara Stadium yesterday.Dhoni slammed an unbeaten 55 in 42 balls with four boundaries and three sixes. Dhoni in the process put on a valuable 78 runs for the fifth wicket. In bowling left arm pacie Irfan Pathan ended with match winning figures of 5 for 25 while the other seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji also finished with figures of 3 for 28.

India winning the toss and taking first lease of the wicket made a modest score of 146 and then restricting Sri Lanka to a score of 120.
Sri Lanka failed to take the initiative after they had the Indians in deep trouble on 51 for 4 in the ninth over. The beginning of the 17th over too saw them struggling on 84 for 4 before Dhoni and Sharma accelerated the score with some pinch hitting.In fact it was the lackluster fielding and batting by the Sri Lankans that brought their downfall. The Sri Lankans were made to fight hard for their runs.
From 92 for 5 in the 15th over they lost their remaining five wickets for the addition of only 28 runs as India won the game with three balls to spare.

India 146 for 5 (20) (Rohit Sharma 37, M.S. Dhoni 55 n.o.: Nuwan Kulasekera 2 for 39)
Sri Lanka 120 in 19.3 overs (Kumar Sangakkara 32, Jeewan Mendis 26, Lahiru Thirimanne 24, Angelo Mathews 16: Irfan Pathan 5 for 25, Lakshmipathy Balaji 3 for 28)� – MSA

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